Cumulus Support

The console of my Fine Offset machine appears to be faulty. When I first bought it back in Feb 2015, the batteries lasted a couple of months, so I replaced them and the new ones lasted about a month, then I replaced them with high quality batteries a few days ago and it's failed again. My previous Fine Offset lasted 5 years without new batteries.
I need to replace the console (it's under warranty).
Can I just go in and get a replacement console? Or will I need to replace the whole shooting match?
In other words, is the comms between the console and the outside unit universal? Or is each console tuned to its matching outside unit?
I tried communicating with the new outside unit using the console from the old machine, but it did not work.

Hi,

TideMan wrote: Can I just go in and get a replacement console? Or will I need to replace the whole shooting match?

That may depend on the supplier. They may keep "spare" Consoles, or they may be prepared to "swap" the Console from a new (boxed) station. The problem might be if the supplier insists that the whole kit is exchanged and your sensors are, for example, all installed "on the roof".

The various parts of the kit are not "matched" or "calibrated" to each other in any way, so individual sensors can be replaced, if required. But there are various versions of the radio link (for different Countries, etc.), so you cannot buy a new Console or Transmitter from a different supplier, with complete confidence that they will work together.

Furthermore, Fine Offset changed the "wireless protocol" between the Transmitter and Console a few years ago (the date varies with the model number) which is probably why your 5 year old version cannot "talk" to the new station.

Cheers, Alan.

Looks like it was a faulty USB cable, not the console.

Hi,

TideMan wrote:the batteries lasted a couple of months, so I replaced them and the new ones lasted about a month,

Thanks for the update. But even if not powered via the USB cable from a computer, the batteries in the Console should last more than 6 months to a year (at least if using Alkaline or better cells).

Cheers, Alan.